Boot drying tree



Nam M 11Q5 D. A. MILLS BOOT DRYING TREE Filed June 15, 1946 Patented Nov. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to what are known as boot trees, an art which is quite well developed along the line of a tree for shaping and maintaining sets of selectively adjustable clamps or shaping elements, while the instant invention relates to what might be captioned a drying tree or rack for rubber boots.

The principal object sought is simplicity of both number of parts and operation of the device.

Another object is to provide a drying rack for rubber boots that is convenient to carry in a car when going on fishing trips and can be easily stored when not in use by making the rack foldable into a flat article that can be hung flat against a wall or laid on a shelf or on a closet floor without occupying any noticeable space which is one of the annoying factors present in the common boot tree.

Another object is to provide a light weight article that can readily be formed into a drying rack and put into the leg of a rubber boot to keep the leg open to allow the circulation of air through the boot to facilitate its drying.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

Attention now being bad to the accompanying drawing forming part of this application:

Fig. 1 is a slightly broken away elevational view of a hip rubber boot in which is installed one of the improved drying trees,

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of one of the trees in folded position,

Fig, 3 is an enlarged view of the upper and lower ends of the tree shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the upper end of a slightly modified form of pivotal connection of the expandable members.

The reference numeral l represents a boot within which the dryer tree comprising the wire forms 2 and 3 with their head and heel connections is installed either for suspension in any desired manner by the hook 4 or resting in an upright position as shown in Fig. 1.

The expandable tree or rack comprises the two like forms 2 and 3, one being sufficiently larger than the other to fold when desired in diametrical alignment as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 either for storage or enlarged circumferential measurement as seen in Figs. 1 and 4.

The application and functioning of the device is as follows:

Assuming that the boot either hip or knee length has become damp interiorly from use or otherwise and drying out is required, the dryer tree is inserted in folded position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, or possibly partly opened, provided of course the size of the boot leg called for same, then forced downwardly until resting upon the inner floor of the heel where it may rest functioning to its fullest capacity while in such standing position or hung upon a nail, hook, clothes line or the like, provided of course, there may be sufficient frictional contact of the tree with the inner walls of the boot leg to warrant same, and which may be regulated by turning the innermost form about for the desired frictional contact.

If this latter condition is not present, the same results may be accomplished by suspending the boot by its own common pullin loop l8 with the tree installed within the boot.

It is thought that the wire forms 2 and 3 of the tree and their pivotal connections at their upper larger ends to the shank 5 of the hook 4 as by their rigid connection to the discs 6 and 1 and at their lower ends to the pivotally connected discs 8 and 9 is quite obvious and requires no further detailed explanation.

It will be noted that in Fig. 3 the reference numeral l8 indicates a conveniently operable wing nut screw-threadedly attached to the pivoting means which, when tightened, will hold the wire forms 2 and 3 in their desired relation to each other while they are in use and also when the device is in folded position for storing or transporting, thereby avoiding any annoyance in the normal functioning of the device.

In the modified and more simple pivotal connection of the forms at both ends as suggested in Fig. 4, each form may be of an endless welded member I0 and II each with their respective cross members I 2 and I3 flattened out to form the disc-like hub portions 14 and I5 respectively pivotally united as by the shank [6 of the hook I! and function in exactly the same manner as that shown in the other figures of the drawing.

What I claim is:

1. In a boot tree; two elongated tapered frame forms pivotally united at their opposite ends on an axis longitudinally of said forms, said tree being adapted for folded insertion within the leg of a boot and subsequent expansion for holding the walls of said leg apart.

2. In a boot leg tree for drying purposes, two wire-like tapered frames pivotally united at both ends on an axis longitudinally thereof, said tree being adapted for folding or unfolding, the pivotal connection at the wider end terminating in means for suspension of said tree.

3. In a boot drying tree, two wire-like tapered frames pivotally united at both ends for folding or unfolding, the pivotal connection at the outside of the wider end terminating in means for suspending said tree, and at the inside of said wider end in a screw-threaded wing nut for subsequent loosening or tightening to move or hold said wire-like frames in their desired relationship to each other.

4. A drying tree adapted for insertion into the leg of a boot for holding the walls thereof apart, said tree comprising a pair of substantially similar frame-like forms, said forms being pivotally united one within the other whereby they may be rotated to extend at any angle to each other.

5. A boot drying tree adapted for insertion into the leg of a boot for holding the walls thereof apart, said tree comprising a pair of substantially similar frame-like forms, said forms being elongated and pivotally united on an axi longitudinally thereof.

DONALD A. MILLS.

4 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 161,383 Carey Mar. 30, 1875 260,102 Langenbach June 27, 1882 1,525,138 Leath Feb, 3, 1925 m 2,175,661 Gordon Oct. 10, 1939 2,437,100 Lambach Mar. 2, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 60,513 Switzerland July 15, 1912 332,916 Great Britain July 24, 1930 

